Home is Where the Heart is: Louise + Daragh Say I Do

Keeping things as local as possible Louise and Daragh married at their local church, enjoyed post-ceremony drinks at their quaint local pub and then celebrated late into the night at their very own country cottage. DIY efforts were abundant, and the majority of professionals who lent a helping hand were local too. The result? The most endearing country wedding at home, all captured by the super talented JAM Shoots...

Louise and Daragh grew up in the same locality and share lots of the same friends. One night they found themselves kissing on a night out and just like that they became an inseparable pair.

A natural pairing, Louise and Daragh soon found themselves buying their first home together, a charming old cottage, and it was here Daragh proposed. Louise remembers..."We were in the middle of renovating when one day just before Christmas Daragh hung fairylights all around the rubble which was our future home and proposed in front of the old fireplace in what is now our sitting room."

Keeping things local Louise and Daragh married at their local church, then headed to their local pub for a post ceremony ceili and drinks reception.

Guinness, treats and traditional music set the tone for the day before the wedding party was on the move again - this time to Louise and Daragh's home, where a colourful marquee reception awaited.

Louise tells us why they picked their own home as their wedding venue..."We both love our new home and getting engaged there was really special. It was so amazing and special to invite all our guests to our home to celebrate our wedding, and hopefully just the beginning of many more lovely memories we will have there. The informality of the pub after the ceremony set the tone for the day and we could see people really getting into the spirit of it. We both love traditional music so it was fantastic to be able to include this in our day. Decorating the marquee ourselves gave it that really personal touch and provided a wow moment when our guests arrived. The colour and the flowers all around gave a relaxed country wedding vibe."

Absolutely everything in the marquee was a DIY effort - from the cake which Daragh's mum baked to the bunting and decorations. Louise gushes..."There was never a truer saying than “many hands make light work”. We could not have pulled it off without everyone that helped us. Daragh’s brothers Ivor & Cormac and Best Man Jonny helped to turn what was a muddy paddock into a garden ready fit for a wedding. Daragh’s Mam and Louise’s Dad were the flower superteam and were responsible for the riot of colour inside and outside the marquee. The artistic skills of the bridesmaids were put to use on the table plan centrepiece, weddings signs, paper decorations, place settings and much more. We would have bride and bridesmaids crafting evenings which would involve the project of the day and a glass of wine or many a cup of tea! All the teacups, teapots and jugs were gathered from family or picked up by Daragh’s mum in second-hand shops over the year leading up to the wedding."

All in all the love filled wedding at home was about "having fun and enjoying the craic with loved ones." Capturing these moments was also important as Louise tells us..."Don’t underestimate the importance of a good photographer, we had decided against a videographer as we both hate seeing ourselves on a TV screen, so we wanted a photographer who would not only get some nice shots but really capture the spirit and atmosphere of the day. We were lucky to get in touch with JAM Shoots and after looking at some of their work we knew they were the ones for us."

Louise continues..."John and Ann-Marie’s work tells the story of our day in the most beautiful and lively way, the photographs capture treasured memories and bring us right back to the day itself. They were a lovely calm pair in a sea of madness and fun, and a joy to have around on the day. John spoke to us about getting away from the party for a few moments before our speeches just to get some shots of us on our own, this was a fantastic idea, as it gave us a 10 minute breather to chat to each other but also resulted in some treasured images."